Since I moved to London, I’ve noticed planes flying over my head quite regularly. Probably most Londoners pay no attention to it, but I guess the aerophobia I’ve always suffered from makes me especially aware of their presence. Inspired by this, I decided to look at some statistics for London airspace. Could this data also be helpful to predict economic activity? Given the size of London and its global importance as a financial, educational and tourist hub, it comes as

The first time I attended a baseball match was in 2006 in Philadelphia. I was living there at the time and wanted to absorb some of the culture. Since I was ignorant of the rules, not to mention the (apparently infinite) subtleties of the game, I got chatting to the bloke sat next to me – a US citizen who’d lived in Philly for the last 20 years. He noticed my accent immediately, and the following conversation ensued. You’re British?

When my name appears on our Friday blog rota, I feel both excited and a little anxious. Excited, because it means I can investigate a new, interesting, topic and share my findings with you. Nervous, because at the outset it isn’t always clear how interesting or stimulating that topic might be, how long the research will take and how to juggle time spent on the piece alongside client-facing work. The challenge is to find a timely topic to present on,

On a cold, damp Saturday late last month I went to see Suede in concert at the De La Warr Pavilion — a beautiful example of Modernist architecture built next to the beach in Bexhill-on-Sea. Located on the Sussex coast, part way between Eastbourne and Hastings, the town’s revenues from tourism are not what they once were. Suede was formed in 1989, with the eponymous first album released 30 years ago almost to the day. It met with great critical

Last weekend, I visited the Natural History Museum. It was as impressive as I remember from the last time I went, on a family holiday from Norway when I was about ten. I must admit that I was almost as excited to see the dinosaur skeletons as the five-year old on the front row wearing a dinosaur costume. Entrance to the museum was free, as with all national collections in the UK — several other countries do the same. The

Vienna’s famous Der Wiener Deewan restaurant was opened in 2005 by Afzaal Deewan, an asylum-seeker from Pakistan. When he first arrived in Vienna he missed the taste of food from home, and would visit Asian restaurants around the city, but he found them very expensive. It wasn’t until he met Natalie — then a student, now his wife — that the two of them came up with an idea: to open a restaurant that would be accessible to all, asylum-seekers

Visiting Whistler Blackcomb ski resort in Canada this year, I was introduced to the concept of a multi-resort pass: a whole-season ski pass you can use at many resorts across different continents, as opposed to one that would only cover a specific resort or area. Having previously only ever skied in Europe, it got me thinking: would these multi-resort passes end up getting replicated over here? Vail Resorts, an American ski resort company, revolutionised the ski industry in 2008 with

England’s two most decorated football clubs renewed their rivalry last Sunday, with Manchester United suffering a defeat of humbling proportions to Liverpool. This United fan has had dodgy oysters that were easier to stomach than conceding seven at Anfield. While these two historic clubs are not at the summit of the Premier League this season, they boast the country’s largest collection of domestic and European honours. If footballing productivity is judged by league-winners’ medals per head, the North West is

The view from my office window has recently seen the addition of another crane. This latest arrival is now the fifth that occupies my view of the Leeds skyline. Exciting, right? Don’t worry, I can promise you I don’t like cranes enough to write a whole blog on them. But stay with me, as they did get me thinking… I recall a few years ago hearing from fellow Fathom staff that counting the cranes on a city’s skyline can give

I was walking around Angel a few weeks ago when I came across a display of books outside a store, with a sign saying, “Blind date with a book”. The books were individually wrapped in brown paper, and the only thing differentiating them was a few words of description, printed in black. “Lost and found. Connections. Uplifting. Love. Enchanting,” was one, next to one that said: “Mythic. Silkworms. Contemporary. Epic saga.” You don’t find out which book it is until